FCB poised to win account for Abbott device DTC ads

Abbott Laboratories is expected to award Interpublic Group's FooteCone & Belding the consumer advertising account for its FreeStyleglucose devices, according to a report on Adweek.com.FCB anticipates landing the account following last month's threewaypitch involving WPP Group's The Quantum Group in Parsippany N.J., and WPP's Ogilvy & Mather in New York. Billings for the majorconsumer campaign are estimated to top $20 million over the next year.Abbott would not comment on the specifics of the ad deal. The FreeStyle line of glucose devices is manufactured by TheraSense of Alameda, Calif., which Abbott acquired in May.TheraSense spent approximately $15 million on ads for FreeStyle in 2003, according to data from Nielsen Monitor-Plus.The latest device in the Freestyle range, called Navigator, is expected to win FDA approval by mid-2005. The company said the device will revolutionize how patients with diabetes monitor their glucose levels because users are not required to extract blood and are able receive up to the minute blood sugar readings.